


A Reason to Continue

by Ink_and_Pen_on_Paper



Category: Original Work
Genre: Backstory, Fantasy, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Magic, Prequel, implied depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_and_Pen_on_Paper/pseuds/Ink_and_Pen_on_Paper
Summary: A lost girl wanders about picking through the pieces of her past.
Kudos: 1





	A Reason to Continue

**Author's Note:**

> A follow-up to [Crimson Rose](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23434852)
> 
> This work, as well as Crimson Rose, are independent stories in the universe of a larger project that I'm currently working on.

_"He_ _had always loved you." Eileen pleaded. "_ We _had always loved you."_

_"I don't care." Cat stepped forward. "It is because of him that Wolf is dead. It is because of you that I am stuck in this heinous form."_

_Eileen laughed weakly. "You know, most people would've killed for a chance at immortality."_

_"My life was a hell hole as it was." Cat drew out her sword. "He made it worse. You remember my logic don't you? 'If you want to live, screw over with relationships.' That's exactly what I did." She laughed. "Hell, I don't even remember his name, it's been far too long."_

_Eileen glowered at her former friend. "So you'd rather put your effort into saving THEM?"_

_"_ They _saved me." Cat drew closer to Eileen. "_ They _gave me a reason to continue living through all these painful centuries." She smiled sadly. "and you were the reason I lived that life."_

_\---_

Catherine jolted awake to see the stone ceiling of her cave above her head. She sighed, sitting up.

It was that dream again.

Well screw it.

She didn't care about him.

She'd forgotten him.

And she was fine with it.

It was because of him that she was stuck.

It was because of him that Wolf had died.

She sighed, falling back onto her makeshift mattress. Maybe she should go outside today.

It'd do her good.

But then again, they were still hunting her. She'd been entrusted with the book by a person she didn't trust, but in the end, that book was something far to powerful to be lost.

Cat sighed, then reached over to grab a leather bag, slipping it over her shoulder.

Screw it.

The cave was too stuffy.

She slipped on a blank white masquerade mask and walked to a stone wall of the cave. Cat placed her hand on the cold stone surface.

In a flash, she was outside, at the top of a mountain that overlooked a pine forest.

Cat smiled slightly, drawing in a deep breath as a crisp breeze whipped her hair behind her.

She stepped to the edge of the steep mountain path.

She jumped.

Her feet landed with a thud on the ground, but Catherine wasn't in the forest anymore, having teleported to a dark alley in the back streets of the black market.

People were gambling, fighting, and dealing items with one another as Cat strode out from the shadows and through the streets.

Maybe she could get a few things.

A wooden stand off on the side of the street showed off stacks of spell-books, each varying from stone tablets to modern-day paperbacks. A black-haired man wearing a red mask was arguing with the vendor.

"Is something wrong here?" Cat stepped towards the stand.

"This man here," the burly vendor wagged a chubby finger at the man before him, "thinks that I stole his book. You tell him that all of my things here were stolen from the archives!"

Cat tilted her head slightly. "Now what if that book of his was from the archives?"

The vendor snorted. "If it were I doubt he'd be here, wandering through the back alleys of the underworld."

"Sir," Cat turned to the man. "Do you mind showing me the book in question?"

He turned to the stand and pointed to a black leather bound book.

Cat froze.

She remembered that book.

It was Red's.

She whipped back to face the man, her eyes glowing beneath her mask.

Same jawline, hair.

Yeah.

They were related.

"May I see the book?" Cat extended her hand.

"How can I trust you?" The vendor growled, but reluctantly handed the book over anyway.

Cat smiled slightly. He obviously knew who she was. She pulled over the leather cover, opening the book to the first page.

**_Property of the ROUGE family_ **

That was all the evidence she needed.

"It's his." Cat slammed the book shut. "Don't even try to argue." Her eyes glowed from behind her mask. "I won't hesitate to eliminate you if you do so."

She handed the book to the man, then shot him a look. "I'd like to have a word with you."

\---

"What does the almighty 'Masked Reaper' want?" The man spoke in a mocking tone as he set his cup of tea on the table.

Cat smiled, her spoon clinking against her cup as she stirred sugar into her coffee. "You're an interesting one. Judging by your behavior, I'd say that you're not a regular back here."

The man smiled slightly. "Judging by how you dealt with that vendor back there, I say you're a regular."

Cat smiled slightly. Judging by posture and height, he looked to be in his early twenties, around the same age as what Cat looked to be.

"I'll assume you have a reason for calling me here."

Catherine smiled. "Why of course. A person like me wouldn't just randomly drag someone off the street and invite them to coffee."

"I'm not interested." He made a move to stand up.

"You haven't even heard what I was going to say."

"I don't need to."

"But I think you might want to." Cat smiled, then reached forward and touched the cover of the book that sat on the table between them. "It has to do with this."

The man paused, his eyes flitting observantly over Cat.

He smiled. "I see you haven't touched your coffee." Changing the topic, Cat noted, grinning to herself slightly.

"Meh," Cat set down the silver spoon. "It's poisoned. I only came here to talk. Not for the drinks. Pretty much everything is poisoned here unless it's forcibly stolen."

The man smirked, then stood up. "I do not believe it is safe to talk here."

Cat did the same. "Nor do I. Information is a priceless asset."

\---

"So what were you going to say about the book?" The man pulled out a chair and sat down.

He and Cat were in a small, upstairs apartment. It was fairly dark, as all the blinds were shut, and only one weak lightbulb lit the room.

Cat smiled, then slipped off her mask. "I'll trust you because of that book and because of the path you seem to be walking on."

The man paused, then smiled, slipping off his own mask.

His eyes fluctuated between red and green in the dim light.

"Call me Michael." He extended his hand for a handshake. Cat accepted it, then nodded.

"Straight to the point," Cat glanced back at the book. "How did you get that book?"

Michael paused. "My father gave it to me. It was handed down the generations. Why?"

Cat smiled. "I want to tell you a story. A story about the first owner of that book. His name was Red."

Cat paused, then smiled sadly. "But I'm sure you already knew that, after all, his signature is at the front of the book. Anyway, back on topic." She pushed the book forward. "He lived during the time when necromancers were hunted. In the history books, it states that they were hunted to the point of extinction."

Cat scooted her chair back, placing her feet on the table. "They missed one girl though. She and Red were the last two necromancers of the time, both hiding within the palace walls that many necromancers feared. Red was killed along with the reigning King's daughter, but the girl was overlooked."

"Her name was Violet." Cat glanced at Michael, studying his facial expression. "She was a simple palace maid. Her name can't be found at the front, since she never learned the spells in the book, as she was what people nowadays would call a 'defect', but either way in the end it was handed down."

The room was silent for a bit.

"What use do I have with this story?" Michael reached forward and took the book. "All it sounds to me is nothing more than a myth."

Cat stood up, smiling slightly. "You think what you want to think. This information will do you well in the future, because Red WILL return." She smiled, a shadow passing over her face. "You can take my word for that." She turned to walk off.

"Wait!"

Cat paused turning back. "Yes?"

"You haven't given me your name."

She smiled. "You can call me whatever comes to mind. I really have no name, Michael Rouge." She turned around and dashed off, her hand running over the leather bag at her side.

Michael remained in the apartment, unsure as to how she had gotten his last name, and whether to trust the shady girl who had just left.

_"Hey_ _, Wolf?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Do you ever wonder why we exist here?"_

_"Yeah, all the time."_

_"Do you know why?"_

_"No, but can we leave? No. They're keeping us here, and the only thing we can do is stay."_

_"I want to leave. I want to explore the world beyond the walls."_

_"If you try to leave they'll kill you."_

_"But if we stay we'll be trapped and die eventually anyway."_

_"When did this change from you to us?"_

_"Since the day we gave each other names." She smiled. "You're Wolf and I'm Cat. That's how it is, and always will be."_

_Wolf sighed, then reached over and slung an arm over Cat's shoulder. "You've always been far too optimistic."_

_"For all you know it could just be a mask."_

_"Yeah, but it's far too happy of a mask for the life we live."_

_"At least it's something. It's hope." Cat paused. "Hey, why don't we leave? Two weeks from now. We could leave and explore the world outside."_

_Wolf paused, hesitating. "Are you serious?"_

_"Why wouldn't I be?"_

_"You are an idiot."_

_"So are you." She smiled._

"And that's why I loved you." Cat leaned forward onto her knees. She sat in a corner of her dark cave. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you that time. But this time I won't fail."


End file.
